Through humor, excitement, gross facts, and sadness, Michael Pollan illustrates how when we choose our food the choices get more complicated. Michael Pollan writes about how corn has overtaken the supermarkets and rushed in to first place to be the number one crop in America. He explains the heart touching story of a baby cow destined to be slaughtered and the importance of grass in a ‘beyond organic’ farm.
In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Michael Pollan writes, “Corn is what feeds the steer which becomes your steak. Corn feeds the chicken and the pig. Corn feeds the catfish raised in a fish farm. Corn-fed chickens lay the eggs. Corn feeds the dairy cows that produce the milk, cheese, and ice cream.” The main reason for all this corn being used to feed animals is that it is cheap and fattens the animals quickly so they can be slaughtered and turned into meat. The living conditions of cattle are horrible, “At first I thought the cattle were standing or lying in grayish mud. Then it dawned on me - that wasn’t mud at all. It was manure.” At local, independent farms, cattle eat grass and move to a new patch every day. They are free-range and live a happy life.
I enjoyed The Omnivore’s Dilemma greatly and highly recommend this book. For anyone who would like to learn about the industrial and organic food chains or would like some help becoming a vegetarian, this would be an exceptionally outstanding choice of book.
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